Outdoorsmen and women, particularly hunters, often take steps to prevent their detection by wildlife. Such steps include making themselves less visibly detectable to wildlife by, for example, hiding in a tree-stand or wearing camouflaging clothing.
Such wildlife detection preventing methods also include reducing the likelihood of being detected by scent. For example, animals positioned downwind of the person can easily smell bodily odors including natural body secretions. Other bodily odors that are detectable by animals include odors resulting from soaps, perfumes, shampoos, deodorants and other products that are applied to the body. Other strong animal-detectable odors include those embedded in our clothes that are acquired from the environment, such as cigarette smoke, odors from a cleaning detergent or fabric softener applied to the clothes when washed, and other odors.
Articles of clothing have been developed to prevent odor emanation from the person wearing the article of clothing. Examples of such articles of clothing are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,383,236, 5,539,930, 5,790,987, 6,009,559 and 6,134,718 (hereinafter “Sesselmann patents”). Briefly, the patents describe articles of clothing that are formed of a base layer on which a scent absorbing means is “provided” by bonding a scent absorbing agent to a surface of the base layer through a silk-screen printing process.
The Sesselmann patents incorrectly claim that when the scent absorbing means is activated charcoal, it may be reactivated merely by machine washing and drying the article of clothing. However, reactivation of activated charcoal requires a much more complicated process that cannot be performed by washing or drying machines. Instead, the only way to “reactivate” activated charcoal is through a process called pyrolysis in which the activated charcoal is heated to over 1400° F. (800° C.) in a controlled atmosphere of low oxygen.
Accordingly, the useful scent absorbing lifespan of the activated charcoal is limited and basically non-renewable. the process used to renew the activated charcoal is generally too complicated to be performed by non-renewable for those who lack the equipment needed to perform the pyrolysis operation. More particularly, the rate at which the activated charcoal absorbs odors decreases with use to a point where it is no longer useful for scent absorbing purposes. As a result, the entire scent absorbing clothing described in the Sesselmann patents must periodically be replaced in order to maintain the desired scent absorbing performance.
Additionally, since the scent absorbing agent is bonded directly to the base layer that forms the article of clothing, the scent absorbing performance of the article of clothing will decrease during the manufacture and transportation of the odor absorbing base layer material and the article of clothing that is formed of the odor absorbing base layer material. For instance, the odor absorbing base layer material that is ultimately used to form the article of clothing is typically transported in a manner that exposes the material to odors in the environment. Additionally, once the odor absorbing base layer material is received by the manufacturer of the article of clothing, the material is further exposed to odors. Such near continuous exposure to odors decreases the useable odor absorbing lifespan of the base layer material and the article of clothing that is formed of the material.
Furthermore, the articles of clothing of the Sesselmann patents are also likely to be exposed to odors during periods of nonuse. For example, articles of clothing in the form of jackets or pants that are formed of the scent absorbing base layer material are typically exposed to odors in the closet or drawer, in which they are stored during periods of non-use. As a result, the useful scent absorbing lifespan of the clothing continues to decrease even while it is not being worn.
A continuing need exists for ways to reduce personal odor emanation during outdoor activities, such as hunting, while avoiding the waste associated with odor absorbing clothing of the prior art that must be periodically replaced to maintain a desired level of odor absorbing performance.